smokingboot

In her normal days Mum was a thorough hypochondriac on behalf of the entire family. As a child she contacted diptheria,and was only saved by the serum produced from injecting horses with diphtheria toxins to stimulate the production of antibodies in their blood. This was in 1930s/40s Spain, after the Civil War. Even in all that carnage folk knew how to drive away the terrible 'strangling angel of chidren'*. Mum learned her lesson well into adulthood. We were basically NHS pincushions.

Now of course she has forgotten all that. As have others, apparently, cue a sudden burst of measles in London. Measles! That old nursery bogey! Measles was sorted many years ago, yet somehow here we are again. People don't trust institutional authorities any more, some fear what they perceive as the medical/pharmaceutical industry's pursuit of profit, some never got told and some just plain forgot about getting their kids vaccinated around/after Covid. So much, too much. Still, it isn't an epidemic and hopefully won't become one. Fingers crossed for the old town.

And in that same old town, Bro is discovered to have elevated PSA levels. Docs found nothing to worry about but suggest a biopsy. He ain't doing it, despite my powers of persuasion (aka eye-rolling and saying 'for Christ's sake, just get on with it.') He's so avoidant! But he has promised me solemnly that he will monitor the situation, and I try not to bark and harry, given my own history of telling doctors to sod off. I didn't exactly race towards my own biopsy.

Meanwhile. Valentine's Day was fun. We went to Howling Wolf in Glasgow, listened to a great live band of old geezers playing amazing blues. There is something else planned for tomorrow night, but R won't tell me what it is, only that it requires frockage. So I bought a few separates. One thing about Scotland, at least for me, is that pretty clothes go by the by. I'm a bit of a jeaniac anyway, wearing t shirts in Summer, jumpers in Winter. He's been begging me to buy new clothes as stuff gets threadbare, but I don't enjoy shopping. I like clothes that keep me warm and don't make me itch, a taller order than it sounds.

And I have stuff to do today but just can't get down to it yet. Wake up Boot!

*They actually called it that.